Our tutors - WILL POWELL

WIll - Japanese Studies with Chinese, University of oxford

Hi, I’m Will. I’m a recent Oxford graduate in Japanese Studies with Chinese. Although I began studying Japanese ab initio in my first year, I went on to achieve a First Class degree in my finals and have also recently passed the JLPT N1 exam. In addition, I have experienced living in Japan for over a year and a half, having studied abroad at Kobe University and completed internships at major Japanese companies in Tokyo.

Language learning looks different for every student, and I therefore aim to tailor lessons to each learner’s individual strengths, goals, and challenges. I am a CELTA-qualified teacher, meaning I have developed a strong foundation in language-teaching. In my lessons, I encourage students to challenge themselves in weaker areas, whether that be productive or receptive skills, so that they can build confidence across the board.

I also understand that many students find vocabulary learning, and especially kanji, particularly tedious. My aim is to create a learning environment in which this process becomes engaging and rewarding instead. I place a strong emphasis on regular review of previously learned material, as language learning is inherently cumulative: a secure grasp of core building blocks is essential before moving on to more complex structures. By incorporating spaced repetition into my teaching, students develop a durable understanding of new grammar and long-term language skills.

Outside of my studies, I love to play sports. At Oxford, I played both rugby and football at the university level. In Japan, I also had the opportunity to join the university rugby club becoming one of only a handful of international students playing across the country.